7/31/09 Friday – Day 1
We arrived at the Hampton Inn in Hazleton, PA around 9:15pm. The weather was overcast or rainy most of the day but about the time we hit Pennsylvania, it cleared up. There was only one major accident along the way that caused a lot of traffic. It seems that an 18 wheeler was heading south and crossed the grass median, went up the hill, and crashed into a James Madison Univ. dorm building (but luckily no one was there at the time). Spent the night at a Hampton Inn in Hazleton, PA.
We arrived at the Hampton Inn in Hazleton, PA around 9:15pm. The weather was overcast or rainy most of the day but about the time we hit Pennsylvania, it cleared up. There was only one major accident along the way that caused a lot of traffic. It seems that an 18 wheeler was heading south and crossed the grass median, went up the hill, and crashed into a James Madison Univ. dorm building (but luckily no one was there at the time). Spent the night at a Hampton Inn in Hazleton, PA.
8/1/09 Saturday – Day 2 
Got up early and headed to the Pocono Raceway. We had no trouble buying tickets for the ARCA race ($25 pp). The day was sunny and in the 80s. We sat around really nice people and enjoyed the race. Our seats were right in front of the entrance to the pits. After the race, we headed to Stroudsburg and spent the night at a Hampton Inn there. For dinner we ate at a Thai restaurant. While looking for the restaurant, we accidentally crossed into NJ at the Delaware Water Gap and had to pay a .75 toll to get back into PA. On the way back, the low tire pressure light came on.
Got up early and headed to the Pocono Raceway. We had no trouble buying tickets for the ARCA race ($25 pp). The day was sunny and in the 80s. We sat around really nice people and enjoyed the race. Our seats were right in front of the entrance to the pits. After the race, we headed to Stroudsburg and spent the night at a Hampton Inn there. For dinner we ate at a Thai restaurant. While looking for the restaurant, we accidentally crossed into NJ at the Delaware Water Gap and had to pay a .75 toll to get back into PA. On the way back, the low tire pressure light came on.
8/2/09 Sunday – Day 3 
As we got ready to leave, we found that our car had a flat tire. After a call to AAA, a tow truck arrived and put air in the tire. Then we drove to the only place open to fix a flat tire, Sears which didn’t open until 11am and it cost $20. Finally we were on our way. We drove north on Hwy 209 through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. We stopped at Dingman’s Falls visitor center and hiked to 2 waterfalls. We ended up in Hartford, CT for the night at a Hampton Inn.
As we got ready to leave, we found that our car had a flat tire. After a call to AAA, a tow truck arrived and put air in the tire. Then we drove to the only place open to fix a flat tire, Sears which didn’t open until 11am and it cost $20. Finally we were on our way. We drove north on Hwy 209 through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. We stopped at Dingman’s Falls visitor center and hiked to 2 waterfalls. We ended up in Hartford, CT for the night at a Hampton Inn.
8/3/09 Monday – Day 4
We really enjoyed the Hampton Inn and had a nice breakfast. After breakfast we headed up the road. Since we put “avoid tolls” in our GPS, we wandered around small towns in MA. We went through Webster and Worcester. We stopped in Lowell, MA at a national historical park that I never heard of but it was well worth the stop. We paid to take the canal ride and learn how this town was important to the Industrial Revolution. On the way to the boat ride, we even rode the trolley. We also took a tour of the Bootts Museum which was nice. It was amazing that we found a parking space right behind the visitor center which normally charges for parking but since the power was out on the ticket machines, parking was free. We didn’t stop in NH but we weren’t there for a long time. Then we ended up on Rte. 1 when we hit Maine. There was so much congestion and the traffic kind of irritated Don. We looked for a hotel in Kennebunkport but the prices were outrageous at any place that had a vacancy. I finally called a hotel from my coupon book and they had a vacancy for only $79 so we headed to the Lodge at Kennebunk and got a room. The room was big with a microwave and fridge and the desk clerk was super friendly and nice. After checking in, we went to Pilot House for dinner where we got a whole lobster for $10 and then an ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s.
We really enjoyed the Hampton Inn and had a nice breakfast. After breakfast we headed up the road. Since we put “avoid tolls” in our GPS, we wandered around small towns in MA. We went through Webster and Worcester. We stopped in Lowell, MA at a national historical park that I never heard of but it was well worth the stop. We paid to take the canal ride and learn how this town was important to the Industrial Revolution. On the way to the boat ride, we even rode the trolley. We also took a tour of the Bootts Museum which was nice. It was amazing that we found a parking space right behind the visitor center which normally charges for parking but since the power was out on the ticket machines, parking was free. We didn’t stop in NH but we weren’t there for a long time. Then we ended up on Rte. 1 when we hit Maine. There was so much congestion and the traffic kind of irritated Don. We looked for a hotel in Kennebunkport but the prices were outrageous at any place that had a vacancy. I finally called a hotel from my coupon book and they had a vacancy for only $79 so we headed to the Lodge at Kennebunk and got a room. The room was big with a microwave and fridge and the desk clerk was super friendly and nice. After checking in, we went to Pilot House for dinner where we got a whole lobster for $10 and then an ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s.
8/4/09 Tuesday – Day 5
We ate breakfast at the Golden Rooster in Saco, ME. Then we headed to Freeport, ME.
First we stopped in Bath, ME and saw the naval shipyard. We walked across the street from the visitor center to Halcyon Yarn and I spent some time touching and looking at all the fascinating textures and colors. When we arrived in Freeport, we went to the LL Bean store and then the factory outlet to look for some bird window clings for my sister. We never could find any. When we left there we went up to Boothbay Harbor and found this neat motel called Midtown Motel. The man’s father opened this in 1955. The rest of the day we spent wandering around Boothbay Harbor as the fog rolled in. We ate clam chowder for dinner at this little roadside stand called Dunston’s Dog House and it was really tasty and filling.
We ate breakfast at the Golden Rooster in Saco, ME. Then we headed to Freeport, ME.
First we stopped in Bath, ME and saw the naval shipyard. We walked across the street from the visitor center to Halcyon Yarn and I spent some time touching and looking at all the fascinating textures and colors. When we arrived in Freeport, we went to the LL Bean store and then the factory outlet to look for some bird window clings for my sister. We never could find any. When we left there we went up to Boothbay Harbor and found this neat motel called Midtown Motel. The man’s father opened this in 1955. The rest of the day we spent wandering around Boothbay Harbor as the fog rolled in. We ate clam chowder for dinner at this little roadside stand called Dunston’s Dog House and it was really tasty and filling.8/5/09 Wednesday – Day 6
Today was a wonderful day. We ate breakfast in Damaricotta, ME but the breakfast wasn’t very good. It was a breakfast/bakery place and they were out of wheat, rye, and some other kind of bread. Then we headed to Acadia National Park and got there around 11am. We found a great room at the Robbins Motel for only $58. For lunch we went to Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound where Don ate a whole lobster and I had 2 dozen steamers for about $30. Then we drove the loop road around the park. We hiked around Cadillac Mountain and stopped at places along the road. For dinner we went to Bar Harbor and ate at Poor Boy’s Gourmet Restaurant and had the early bird specials. After dinner we drove to Seal Harbor and Northeast Harbor before returning to our motel.
Today was a wonderful day. We ate breakfast in Damaricotta, ME but the breakfast wasn’t very good. It was a breakfast/bakery place and they were out of wheat, rye, and some other kind of bread. Then we headed to Acadia National Park and got there around 11am. We found a great room at the Robbins Motel for only $58. For lunch we went to Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound where Don ate a whole lobster and I had 2 dozen steamers for about $30. Then we drove the loop road around the park. We hiked around Cadillac Mountain and stopped at places along the road. For dinner we went to Bar Harbor and ate at Poor Boy’s Gourmet Restaurant and had the early bird specials. After dinner we drove to Seal Harbor and Northeast Harbor before returning to our motel.
8/6/09 Thursday – Day 7
We left Bar Harbor, ME and headed to Calais, ME where the border crossing into Canada was located. We stopped at the St. Croix International Historic Site which honors an island in the middle of the river that you cannot go to. It was the first place the French settled. There were bronze statues along a short trail to the river and they cover these statues with crates in the winter to protect them from the snow. Then we at lunch at this cute take out shack called The Ice Cream Patch.
We left Bar Harbor, ME and headed to Calais, ME where the border crossing into Canada was located. We stopped at the St. Croix International Historic Site which honors an island in the middle of the river that you cannot go to. It was the first place the French settled. There were bronze statues along a short trail to the river and they cover these statues with crates in the winter to protect them from the snow. Then we at lunch at this cute take out shack called The Ice Cream Patch.
Apparently they arrest tons of drugs smugglers at this border crossing each day (which we didn’t know about) and apparently we look like drug smugglers. We were with the border patrol for hours while they interrogated us and practically strip searched us. Our car was strip searched though and everything removed and x-rayed. Every bag was hand searched also. They separated us and asked questions like how many beers were in the cooler, name the states I had lived in, exactly how much money did I have, the exact date when Don became a judge, where were we heading, how long were we going to be there and it was bad because we didn’t know the answers to all the questions. Finally hours later, when they couldn’t think of anything else to ask us, they told us we could leave and have a good time in Canada. Then we had to repack the whole car. By this time, we were so irritated that we decided we didn’t want to spend a dime in Canada so we turned around and came back across the border. I don’t think we want to go back to Canada anytime soon.
Then we headed to Millinocket, ME and hope to hike some of the Appalachian Trail tomorrow. We found a room at the Econolodge for only $49! After dinner at Ruthie’s Hotel Terrace, we did a load of laundry back at our hotel.
Then we headed to Millinocket, ME and hope to hike some of the Appalachian Trail tomorrow. We found a room at the Econolodge for only $49! After dinner at Ruthie’s Hotel Terrace, we did a load of laundry back at our hotel.
8/7/09 Friday – Day 8
We left Millinocket and headed to Baxter State Park. We decided not to pay the $13 to enter and then find out that there was no parking. People had to reserve parking at trailheads in advance or be at the gate by 5am (which we were not). Instead we went to The Golden Road to look for moose. We spent most of the day looking for moose but we never did find any. Instead, we came across the B-52 crash site in Greenville, ME. This plane crashed on Elephant Mountain in 1963. It gave me an eerie feeling like there were ghosts there among the wreckage that was all around. We ate lunch in Greenville and it poured down rain but stopped when we left. After we left there, we headed to Gorham, NH. Before we left Maine, we found a covered bridge in Newry, ME. Shortly after that we got to Gorham which was really crowded so I’m glad we got a hotel room easily. After dinner at Burger King, we drove west on Hwy 2 to Lancaster and back.
That’s the end of week 1. For more pictures, click on my Flicker Set: Northeast Adventures Week 1
We left Millinocket and headed to Baxter State Park. We decided not to pay the $13 to enter and then find out that there was no parking. People had to reserve parking at trailheads in advance or be at the gate by 5am (which we were not). Instead we went to The Golden Road to look for moose. We spent most of the day looking for moose but we never did find any. Instead, we came across the B-52 crash site in Greenville, ME. This plane crashed on Elephant Mountain in 1963. It gave me an eerie feeling like there were ghosts there among the wreckage that was all around. We ate lunch in Greenville and it poured down rain but stopped when we left. After we left there, we headed to Gorham, NH. Before we left Maine, we found a covered bridge in Newry, ME. Shortly after that we got to Gorham which was really crowded so I’m glad we got a hotel room easily. After dinner at Burger King, we drove west on Hwy 2 to Lancaster and back.
That’s the end of week 1. For more pictures, click on my Flicker Set: Northeast Adventures Week 1
1 comment:
WOW Pat!! Sounds like a great trip until the border part. That would really irritate me too. I don't know how I would handle that very well. Sheesh. Glad you are having a great time.
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